Here's Why Broncos' Win Over Jets was Critical

The Denver Broncos had to beat the New York Jets to keep the season viable.

Sep 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Denver Broncos safety P.J. Locke (6) celebrates a fourth quarter, fourth down defensive stop with teammates during the second half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos have pulled off an upset in back-to-back weeks, both on the road, with their latest win coming over the  New York Jets. Starting the season 0-2 is never ideal, but the Broncos are now sitting at 2-2, which is critical with their schedule.

The Broncos started with three of their first four games on the road, and when you break the schedule up, starting 2-2 with three of four on the road isn’t a bad place to be. The Broncos are .500 and are headed home for back-to-back games against divisional foes.

That's part of what made this win at MetLife Stadium so critical. Divisional games are always tough, and facing the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers is never easy.

The Raiders have a winning streak against the Broncos, and the Chargers have been playing tough defensively. After these next two AFC West home games, three of Denver's next four will be on the road, split with a road trip to New Orleans. 

Going on the road to New Orleans will come with many emotions for Sean Payton, and he would like to walk out with a win. Hopefully, the Broncos are at least 3-3 entering that game, but ideally, they're 4-2 in beating the Raiders and the Chargers over the next two weeks.

A 3-3 record going to face the New Orleans Saints puts more pressure on a win to guard against going home to take on the Carolina Panthers with a losing record and sitting with a 4-4 record after their first eight games. 

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For the back nine of the season, the Broncos want to enter with a 5-3 record at the very least, especially with back-to-back road games against the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs in Weeks 9 and 10. Adding even more to the importance of a 5-3  start after the first eight is the Broncos' late bye week, which doesn't come until Week 14. 

The importance of beating the Jets and getting to 2-2 is coming into focus, but the first quarter of the season included three of the toughest defenses the Broncos will face all year. The Jets weren't the toughest so far this season, but you can make the case for the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers.

This is subject to change in yards per game, but entering Week 4, the Seahawks and Steelers were the top two defenses in yards allowed per game, with the Jets at seventh. The Broncos only face one more top-10 defense this season — the Chargers — twice.

When you expand that to the top 16, the Broncos have four games left against three teams in the top half in yards allowed per game, including the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. 

The young Broncos offense has been battle-tested over the past three weeks, and they sit with a 2-2 record, which is great news. Things should be easier for Denver going forward, and hopefully, getting tested will result in growth on the field to close out the season. 

If this offense can step up after the gauntlet it's faced through four weeks, the Broncos could end up being a tougher matchup as the season goes on, and they continue to build on things and grow together. 

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